


Not a Patch On

by keelywolfe



Series: by any other name [21]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), papcest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 03:10:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16210163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelywolfe/pseuds/keelywolfe
Summary: A double date to the pumpkin patch, what could be better, right? Right?





	Not a Patch On

* * *

Going to the orchard with Antwan and Jeff had been Stretch’s idea, and like so many of his ideas, it had been Edge who planned it out. He’d found a local orchard that had plenty of events that Stretch would find entertaining, which meant Jeff would find them entertaining, including a corn maze and a hay ride out to pick pumpkins and apples.

All in all, a perfectly autumn event.

The tractor hauling the haybale-filled trailer was chugging along, pulling them through the fields. Across from Edge, Jeff and Stretch were sitting together, baskets of apples that had recently been liberated from their trees at their feet. They were whispering about something and laughing, indecipherable over the roar of the tractor but that was fine. All that mattered was they were both having fun. 

Antwan, sitting next to him, seemed less than charmed by the hay and noise. That was also fine because Edge hadn’t been worried about making him happy, anyway. His only rule for the day was that phones were to be used for the camera only and he’d already caught Antwan twice now sneaking a peek at his messages when he took a picture.

The other Humans on the ride all seemed well accustomed to Monsters, or at least polite enough not to stare. There was another Monster couple riding along with a charming toddler who kept walking up to Stretch and waiting until he made a silly face at him before squealing with laughter and running back to his parents.

They’d never discussed having children of their own, but lately, seeing Stretch with other Monster children was starting to bring a gentle ache up in his soul, a certain quiet longing. He was so wonderful with children, a bit overindulgent, perhaps, but there was always one parent who was, wasn’t there?

Later, Edge told himself. They had time for such things later and if they didn’t, he was content with his life as it was. He already had more than he’d ever expected, he wasn’t about to get greedy now.

The tractor rolled to an unsteady halt and everyone clamored off, most of them chattering happily with Edge and Antwan pulling up the rear. Stretch and Jeff had already run out ahead of them, picking their way through the vines in search of the perfect pumpkin.

Edge glanced at Antwan and caught him taking a picture of the pair, getting a side eye of his own before Antwan slid the phone back into his pocket guiltily, messages unchecked.

“Those two are having a good time,” Antwan sighed. 

“Of course they are, they have the same maturity as the children,” Edge said, amused. Casually, he added, ”It’s been what, six months now?”

Someday, he would learn the art of discreet interrogation from his brother. Red could weasel out a novel’s worth of secrets before his target even realized they were talking. For Edge, today was not to be that day, because Antwan only gave him a sour look and said, “Don’t start.”

“I’m not starting anything,” Edge said mildly. If discretion was a loss, then the next step was guilt, so he added, “I only wonder how you can stand him living in that cramped hovel while you have an entire house and an apartment to yourself.”

Lawyers seemed to gain a shield against guilt when they passed the bar and Antwan was no exception. “He’s over at my place half the week, anyway, and how do you even know what his apartment looks like?”

Edge didn’t bother with obvious questions so he ignored the latter one. “If he’s over so often, then you should ask him to stay.”

In the field, Jeff and Stretch seemed to be fiercely debating the merits of the pumpkin at their feet. Both of them were wearing long scarves that caught the wind and had blooms of color from the chill on their faces. Stretch’s skull was covered by a warm hat but Jeff’s light hair was wind blown, hanging over his forehead in a wild tousle.

“Look, moving in is a big step,” Antwan said. His eyes were lingering out in the field and his hand twitched as if to reach for his phone. “Maybe it’s different with Monsters but—“

He nearly winced as the words came out, obviously realizing the stupidity of it.

“Ah, yes, you mean with Stretch and I,” Edge said dryly. He rewound his own scarf a little tighter around his neck. “Yes, that was easy, a fine example of the relaxed nature of Monsters when it comes to relationships; only a year of what could loosely be called dating, a year that I don’t even include when people ask how long we’ve been together and—“

Antwan interrupted him, “Yeah, okay, I remember, I was there. It worked out for you, didn’t it?”

“It did,” Edge said softly. “Antwan, look at them.”

The pair of them were laughing, though the wind snatched away the sound before they could hear it. They were playing some sort of ridiculous tag, with Stretch shortcutting just out of reach every time Jeff nearly grabbed him. Finally, the odds caught up with him and Jeff managed a tackle, sending them both down into the vines with a gleeful shout. They would both be filthy by the time they chose their pumpkin, Edge knew, and there was a blanket in his trunk to lay across his backseat, a precaution he was grateful he’d taken. 

“When they are done, I get to take him home with me,” Edge said quietly. “Tonight, I will sleep with him at my side and I will get to tell him how much I love him. You are my closest friend, aside from him. You’ll forgive me if I only want the same happiness for you.”

“You’re a fucking sap,” Antwan gave him a shove and grinned, softening it. “And I know. I want that, too. I just need to be sure that Andy over there is the one gonna give it to me.”

Edge nodded, “Don’t wait too long. He reminds me a little of Rus. He gives of himself, perhaps a little too generously. It makes him easy to hurt.”

“I wouldn’t hurt him,” Antwan protested. He seemed appalled at the very idea.

“I said the same thing,” Edge murmured, and the other two came bounding back.

“we think we found the perfect ones,” Stretch said triumphantly, “now we just need our big strong men to carry them.”

“Then you should have brought some with you,”Antwan said dryly, but he allowed Jeff to tug him along. Edge followed Stretch to the other side of the field, already groaning internally from the size of the pumpkin he was being led towards. He was going to have to double check that it would fit in the trunk.

“it’s perfect,” Stretch gushed, the bright flush in his cheekbones nearly the same shade. “after this can we do the corn maze? labyrinths have an interesting history, you know?”

“I’m sure they do,” Edge said with no small amusement of his own, already anticipating an excited lecture on the history of labyrinths. “We’ll need to stop at their store as well. This farm also keeps bees and they have their own honey varieties.”

Stretch’s eye lights flashed into hearts, such a rare sign of pure delight. Edge had been keeping that tidbit a secret all day, waiting for a chance to tell him. So very worth it.

The tight hug he got only upped the worth. “you’re way too good to me.”

_Not possible,_ Edge thought. He didn’t say it, uninterested in arguing in the middle of a field about who loved who more. Instead, he said lightly. “I like to think I am just good enough.”

With a rueful glance at Stretch’s chosen pumpkin, he took a moment to look over their friends, struggling with their own monstrosity. 

Antwan whom he’d known for years, his first true human friend and Jeff, who was likely Stretch’s. For all his hundreds of acquaintances, trust came so difficultly to Stretch, to the point that it took saving his life to grant it. Frustrating, but Edge was still grateful that he’d found a friend. 

He truly hoped Stretch’s early prediction would prove wrong and Antwan wasn’t going to fuck this up. 

For now, at least, they both had a pumpkin to carry. 

-finis-


End file.
